Dr. w. euGene Scott (or William Eugene Scott) is an internationally known religious broadcaster and author of 20 books. Dr. Scott serves as pastor of the Los Angeles, California University Cathedral with a claimed membership 15,000. According to a 2004 press release authorized by Scott his prostate cancer which was first diagnosed in 2000 has spread to his bladder. Scott is currently undergoing chemotherapy.

Early Life

William Eugene Scott was born August 14, 1929 in Buhl, Idaho to William Theodore Scott, a traveling Pentecostal preacher, and Inez Leona Graves Scott. In 1934, when Scott was 6, his mother gave birth to a premature twins, of whom one died shortly after birth. His mother told an interviewer in 1980 that she was visited by angel at this time, stating that she "saw a stairway begin to roll down from heaven and come right down to the side of my bed," and that "two angels walked down and they stopped in front of Gene. At this point, his mother claims to have said "Oh no, Lord, you can't take Gene!" and that the angels "just went around him and picked the baby up." Both of Scott's parents are now deceased.

Education

Scott excelled in primary and secondary school both academically and athletically -- allegedly a seventh grade teacher even went so far as to include a note with his report card informing his parents that their son was a genius. His father's conservative congregation, however, disapproved of his athletic pursuits, for playing basketball meant that he needed to wear shorts.

Dr. Scott earned his Ph.D. in Philosophies of Education at Stanford University in California in 1957. The subject of his thesis was Reinhold Niebuhr. In 1992 he was the featured cover story for the Stanford Alumni Magazine. After receiving his Ph.D., he briefly taught at Midwestern Bible College following which he assisted Oral Roberts to establish Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Ministry

Eugene Scott joined the pentecostal Assemblies of God denomination and preached in many countries.

In 1970, Scott resigned his Assemblies of God credential in good standing and returned to Oroville, CA to launch his own ministry with his father which they named Wescott Christian Center. Wescott Christian Center still maintains a branch in Oroville, CA.

It was while serving his Oroville, CA ministry that Scott was approached about taking over the 45-year-old Faith Center church in Glendale, CA along with its four broadcast stations, which included KHOF-TV channel 30, San Bernardino, CA, KHOF-FM 99.5 Los Angeles, CA, KVOF-TV channel 38, San Francisco, CA and channel 18 in Hartford, Connecticut and $3.5-million debt. Scott, who also had established himself as a shrewd entrepreneur, agreed to serve as Faith Center's pastor provided that Faith Center's leaders resign and approve a reorganization plan that gave him complete control. According to Scott, to his amazement, the church leaders accepted.

Scott was able to quickly retire the 3.5 million in debt by using the broadcast outlets to increase Faith Center’s membership as well as initiating a massive fund-raising project to save Faith Center.

In 1987 Dr. Scott attempted to buy the building of the Los Angeles Church of the Open Door without success though he was able to acquire the historic red neon "Jesus Saves" signs which had formerly adorned the roof of the Church of the Open Door and which had become a very familiar sight to Los Angeles, CA area residents over the years. Dr. Scott then purchased the former United Artists theater in downtown Los Angeles, CA which he then renamed as the "University Cathedral".

University Network

In 1975 he began a series of broadcasts which resulted in the creation of the University Network. By 1983 the University Network was broadcasting his sermons 24-hours-a-day via satellite to North America, as well as to much of Mexico and the Caribbean. By 1990, his network was available to 180 countries and by 1992 his sermons were being broadcast in four languages on AM and Short Wave radio stations which are heard in many parts of the world. His programs consist in the main of an informal style of Bible teaching mixed with music and video of his interests in such diverse subjects as postage stamps, painting and horse jumping.

Los Angeles University Cathedral

With more than 15,000 members in the Greater Los Angeles area, the Baroque-style University Cathedral is the largest Protestant church in downtown area of the city. Both the Cathedral and the world-famous "Jesus Saves" signs are designated historic monuments. Over 100,000 people have viewed the church exhibition of the History & Development of the English Bible which many historic Bibles, books and manuscripts.

Style

Scott's broadcasts fall in to two distinct categories. The first category is the broadcast of the traditional Sunday service in a format familiar to Protestant Christianity. The second category is a broadcast of what Scott has named the "Festival of Faith". The "Festival of Faith" is a very informal, non-traditional broadcast which features Scott sitting alone in a chair, often smoking a cigar or a pipe, telling jokes, interacting with the crew and volunteer phone operators, berating his staff and/or his congregation, and making remarks that are often considered to be quite off-color to many. He often spices up his speech with what many would consider profanity, although all his remarks are within FCC guidelines if not always within the guidelines of good taste. He also is well-known for constantly engaging in the nervous habit of cleaning out his nose with a handkerchief while on camera. These "Festival of Faith" broadcasts also feature Scott reading from books on UFOs, Demonology, The Great Pyramid of Giza, or similar viewer-grabbing topics. He will quite often call out "AM I BORING YOU?", to which his staff will shout "NO SIR!" He frequently exhorts his viewers to "Get on the phone!" to make a monetary pledge or to encourage him to keep reading.

Marriages

Gene Scott's first marriage was to Betty Ann Frazer, his high school sweetheart at Oroville Union High School. This marriage lasted 23 years. Scott has been critical of Ms. Frazer on his television show, calling her "the devil's sister," as well as remarking "If I go to heaven and she's there, I'm going to another planet." Subsequent marriages include Christine E. Shaw and Melissa Holliday. Melissa Holliday-Scott has been recently named associate pastor with Faith Center.

Membership and interests

• Los Angeles Central Library Save the Books telethon.
• Vice-Chairman of the Board of the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center and one of its Founding Directors.
• Member, Board of Rebuild L.A.
• Member, Philatelic Foundation of New York.

Sources

• Official Biography (http://www.drgenescott.com/docsbio.htm)
• A Los Angeles Times article on Scott, hosted on an anti-Scott site (http://www.ex-cult.org/Groups/Gene-Scott/gene-scott)